COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say their new rapid, genotyping method can help clinicians choose appropriate doses of the blood thinner warfarin for individual patients.
Researchers at Ohio State University in Columbus, led by Dr. Haifeng Wu, say their rapid, genotyping method can identify the single nucleotide polymorphisms that affect use of warfarin -- a drug commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots.
Warfarin, also known as Coumadin, needs to be closely monitored because dosing is complicated by interactions with some foods and other drugs, Wu says.
"On-site application of this method in hospital laboratories will greatly help clinicians to determine appropriate doses of warfarin to treat patients with thromboembolic disorders," study authors said in a statement.
The study was published in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.